Iron incorporation into ferritin and hemoglobin during differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells

Hemoglobin and ferritin iron content have been followed during differentiation in tissue cultures of murine erythroleukemia cells (MELC) using the techniques of Mossbauer spectroscopy and electron microscopy. In undifferentiated cells grown without DMSO, only iron stored in ferritin was detected. The amount of iron in a cell grown in the presence of iron citrate is approximately 1.2 X 10(-14) g, whereas in a cell grown in the presence of transferrin the amount is approximately 0.28 X 10(-14) g. These quantities do not depend on the iron concentration in the nutrition medium in a range from 0.3 to 2.0 microgram Fe/ml and are the same for growth times between 8 hr and 7 days. Cells grown with DMSO contain, in addition to ferritin, increasing concentrations of hemoglobin. Chase experiments prove that ferritin iron participates in hemoglobin synthesis. The amount of ferritin iron reaches saturation within less than 8 hr in MELC grown with or without DMSO. In differentiating cells grown with iron citrate there is a decrease with time in ferritin iron content concomitant with the increase in hemoglobin. Cells grown with transferrin incorporate additional amounts of iron, which are approximately equal to the amounts used for hemoglobin synthesis maintaining a constant ferritin iron level. In the electron microscope, iron is seen only as ferritin within lysosomes. The density of the ferritin in lysosomes correlates with the ferritin iron concentrations determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy.     

Progression of joint damage in early active severe rheumatoid arthritis during 18 months of treatment: comparison of low-dose cyclosporin and parenteral gold

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the progression of joint damage in patients with early active severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with cyclosporin or parenteral gold. METHODS: In this open, randomized, multicentre study with a blinded radiological endpoint, 375 patients who had suffered from active severe RA for <3 yr were randomized to be treated for 18 months with low-dose cyclosporin or parenteral gold. The groups were stratified with regard to corticosteroid use. Primary efficacy variables were numbers of erosions, erosion score and the Larsen-Dale joint damage score. RESULTS: Joint damage progressed at similar rates in both treatment arms. In both groups, patients receiving corticosteroids had less X-ray progression. Rheumatoid factor positivity, high swollen joint count, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and pre-existing X-ray abnormalities predicted progression of joint damage. Although numbers of serious adverse events were similar, more gold patients (n = 65) than cyclosporin patients (n = 45) withdrew from study medication because of adverse events. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporin was comparable to parenteral gold in retarding progression of joint damage and was better tolerated in terms of adherence to therapy. The open label design should be kept in mind when assessing this difference.      

Rheumatoid constrictive pericarditis [clinical conference]

A 73-yr-old woman with a 4 yr history of rheumatoid arthritis presented with the clinical features of congestive cardiac failure. She had a good early response to standard therapy although she subsequently developed recurrent biventricular failure. The preservation of good ventricular function on echocardiography in the face of clinical evidence of myocardial insufficiency raised the possibility of constrictive pericarditis, which was confirmed on cardiac catheterization. Constrictive pericarditis should be considered in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who develop unexplained cardiac failure. Early diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and cardiac catheterization may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Medical treatment is largely ineffective and pericardiectomy should be considered.      

Widespread somatic L1 retrotransposition occurs early during gastrointestinal cancer evolution

Somatic L1 retrotransposition events have been shown to occur in epithelial cancers. Here, we attempted to determine how early somatic L1 insertions occurred during the development of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Using L1-targeted resequencing (L1-seq), we studied different stages of four colorectal cancers arising from colonic polyps, seven pancreatic carcinomas, as well as seven gastric cancers. Surprisingly, we found somatic L1 insertions not only in all cancer types and metastases but also in colonic adenomas, well-known cancer precursors. Some insertions were also present in low quantities in normal GI tissues, occasionally caught in the act of being clonally fixed in the adjacent tumors. Insertions in adenomas and cancers numbered in the hundreds, and many were present in multiple tumor sections, implying clonal distribution. Our results demonstrate that extensive somatic insertional mutagenesis occurs very early during the development of GI tumors, probably before dysplastic growth.Somatic mobilization of retroelements in the cancer genome has only recently been established as a widespread mutational phenomenon. In particular, Long INterspersed Element (LINE)-1 (L1)-mediated retrotransposition has been observed mostly in epithelial cancers. Somatic human-specific L1 (L1Hs) insertions are most abundant in these cancers, but L1-mediated Alu, SVA, and processed pseudogene insertions have also been detected (Iskow et al. 2010; Lee et al. 2012; Solyom et al. 2012; Ewing et al. 2013; Shukla et al. 2013; Cooke et al. 2014; Helman et al. 2014; Pitkanen et al. 2014; Tubio et al. 2014). L1s are autonomous mobile elements that comprise 17% of the human genome and retrotranspose by a “copy and paste” mechanism via an RNA intermediate. This process can lead to insertional mutagenesis and genetic instability (Goodier and Kazazian 2008). Potentially etiological L1 insertions have been reported in APC (Miki et al. 1992) and PTEN exons (Helman et al. 2014) in colorectal and endometrial cancer, respectively, and insertions of unknown significance have been found in numerous other cancer driver genes in a variety of malignancies (Iskow et al. 2010; Lee et al. 2012; Solyom et al. 2012; Ewing et al. 2013; Shukla et al. 2013; Cooke et al. 2014; Helman et al. 2014; Pitkanen et al. 2014; Tubio et al. 2014; Paterson et al. 2015). In a study of somatic retrotransposition during the evolution of prostate and lung cancer, Tubio et al. (2014) found evidence of insertions occurring during cancer development. Beyond this work, the timing of retrotransposition in cancer development has not been analyzed previously.     

激光周边虹膜成形术治疗高褶虹膜型青光眼的疗效观察

目的观察激光周边虹膜成形术治疗高褶虹膜型青光眼的安全性和有效性。方法高褶虹膜型青光眼患者30例52只眼,首先药物降压,然后行氪激光周边虹膜成形术,超声生物显微镜激光治疗前后测量的房角开放度数。结果术前、术后1周、术后2和6个月患者的眼压分别为(22.8±3.2)、(15.6±1.7)、(16.6±2.1)和(17.2±2.3)mmhg。术前与术后各时间段眼压比较差异均具有显著意义(P<0.05)。各部位房角开放度:术前鼻侧(11.76±4.51)°,下方(7.74±6.75)°,颞侧(9.81±6.94)°,上方(5.93±4.66)°;术后2周鼻侧(19.67±7.59)°,下方(13.80±7.61)°,颞侧(16.67±7.26)°,上方(12.30±8.24)°;术后6个月鼻侧(16.94±6.95)°,下方(11.38±5.71)°,颞侧(11.38±5.71)°,上方(10.23±6.23)°。激光术后2周及6个月各部位房角开放度数与术前比较差异均有显著意义(P<0.05)。术前、术后1周中央前房深度分别为(2.10±0.37)、(2.26±0.42)mm,术前与术后比较差异没有显著意义(P>0.05);术前、术后1周周边前房深度分别为(0.91±0.22)、(1.11±0.18)mm,术前与术后比较差异均有显著意义(P<0.05)。所有病例术后患眼眼压被控制,没有出现反应性的眼压升高、前房炎症反应,出血、虹膜局部色素脱失、沉着及虹膜萎缩等激光的副损伤。结论氪激光周边虹膜成形术对于房角尚未发生粘连的单纯虹膜肥厚的高褶虹膜型青光眼一种安全有效的方法,能有效加深患者房角及周边前房深度。     

Epidemiologic background of blood donors with antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus. Transfusion Safety Study Group

We interviewed 51 blood donors in four major US metropolitan areas subsequently found to have had antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus (anti-HTLV) in late 1984-early 1985. Sixteen donors (31%) reported that they or a sexual contact had a history of blood transfusion. Twelve donors (24%) reported that they or a sexual contact used intravenous drugs. Ten donors (20%) were blacks born in the southeastern US. Four of the male donors (15%) reported homosexual contact. The most common characteristic was an association with Japan or the Caribbean basin (61%). These results show a broader variation of epidemiologic backgrounds than anticipated.     

定期晨间集体交接班在门诊的实施

目的 探讨门诊护士定期进行晨间集体交接班制的实施方法和效果.方法 于每周一工作前30 min,全体门诊护士集中进行交接班,由交班护士、护士长及科护士长对上周工作进行总结及点评.结果 实施门诊护士定期晨间集体交接班制后门诊满意度显著提高,与实施前比较,差异有显著性意义(P＜0.01).结论 门诊护士定期晨间集体交接班的实施,对培养门诊护士的综合素质及提高门诊护理服务质量起到积极的促进作用.